1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable lawn carts of the type employed to hold miscellaneous articles including garbage bags and receptacles. More particularly, my invention relates to a portable, collapsible, wheeled cart for holding and transporting trash bags, particularly plastic trash bags. Known prior art relating to the field of the invention may be found in U.S. Class 248, Subclasses 97-99 and 101, and Class 280, Subclasses 35, 641, 651, 654.
2. The Prior Art
Most municipalities require residents to use flexible plastic trash bags for containing household garbage, grass, leaves, and other wastes associated with modern suburban life. This has led to the almost universal use of thin, lightweight, disposable plastic bags for containing household and garden trash, cut grass, leaves, and the like, as well as domestic garbage. These plastic bags are frequently made from extremely thin plastic. Tearing and rupture are common problem associated with moving these bags when they are filled with refuse.
There are many trash bag carts and trash bag holders on the market which incorporate a frame for holding and supporting the refuse bag. These devices employ complicated mechanisms for supporting the refuse bag. Typical structures employed to hold the bags in an open position are awkward and fragile. Most are unwieldy to use. Furthermore, they are not adaptable to bags of different sizes and shapes. Most no not fold into a convenient, reduced volume for storage when not in use. Various devices have been developed in the prior art to hold the trash bag open for filling, and to transport the bag in use. Carts, racks, hand trucks, and the like have been advanced. These prior art devices often employ massive and heavy frames and auxiliary supporting members, making them difficult and slow to assemble or disassemble. The user must expend considerable physical effort to move many of these prior art devices from place to place. The mechanisms adopted for holding and supporting the bags in these devices have involved cumbersome and complex mechanisms. These mechanisms include holding the bag open by prongs, hooks, clips, and clamping the edge between pairs of tubular frames. The user has considerable difficulty when attempting to disengage the bag from the apparatus when ready for disposal.
For example, in Lindsey et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,847, a cart for trash bags is shown having a U-shaped frame for supporting and transporting a bag used for containing household refuse and the like. In this case, the trash bag is held open using heavy bent wires and braces pivotally mounted to the frame. The user is required to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to assemble and adjust the various components of the bag supporting means. Additionally, this cart does not provide any method for easily closing the trash bag after waste has been deposited in the trash bag and requires placing a separate cover over the trash bag. This separate cover must be used in order to avoid the diffusion of objectionable odors in the area surround the stored trash bag. The cover must also be used to effectively prevent insects, pests, and other vermin from entering the trash bag. This separate hand actuated closing means creates another part the user must maintain and locate or the trash cart's usefulness is greatly diminished.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,034 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,185 relate to bag holding handcarts that use an adjustable support ring to hold the trash bag open during filling. These devices require the user to open the support ring and fit the trash bag over the ring. The user must then secure the trash bag to the ring by tightening an adjustable clamping wire around tile outside of the support ring thereby securing the trash bag in place and keeping the trash bag open during filling. One problem with devices of this type is that the user must manipulate several parts to support and open the trash bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,132 discloses a hand truck for trash bag support and transport. The user wraps the edge adjacent the trash bag open end around a support loop. The user then secures the trash bag to the loop by placing several clamps about the loop. One problem with hand trucks of this type is that the operator must first manipulate the trash bag about a support, find the requisite clamps, then secure the trash bag to the loop. The operator expends his time and effort in an inefficient manner thereby increasing the length of the job and the labor involved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,521 discloses a combination bag holder and dolly adapted to grip the open end of a trash bag by using an adjustable ring or loop. The surface of the ring or loop has a rough surface to further grip the trash bag. The device described attempts to remedy the problems associated with the use of several parts, clamps and the like in securing the trash bag. The user of a device of this type would place the open end of a trash bag over the adjustable loop. Then the loop would be extended to engage the open edge of the trash bag thereby placing stress on the trash bag. The trash bag is held in place through friction. One disadvantage of devices of this type is that the bag tends to fall from the loop or ring as the bag is filled to capacity as the weight of the bag overcomes the resistance of the rough surface loop. Another problem is that the open bag cannot be easily closed. The user must provide a separate cover and adapt the cover to the described device. This necessitates the collection of covers of varying sizes to accommodate the different trash bag available.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,549,748 and 5,048,778 relate to a bag holding device for use in collecting and conveying trash. The bag holding cart is comprised of a pair of inverted U-shaped frame support members pivotally connected at about their respective centers. A foldable base is provided to the lower portion of the cart. The cart is movable along conventional wheels or casters for transport. The upper portion of each inverted U-shaped support member is provided with bag retention bars. A hand actuated cover effects closure. This bag holding cart suffers from several deficiencies and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the cart is rather bulky and cumbersome, even in its folded state. Another problem is that tile slidable cover must be opened and closed by hand. Such hand operation can be problematic, especially if the cart operator is loaded down with trash. In that case, the operator must first put the load down, then open the cover, and finally pick up the load again and deposit it into a bag supported on tile cart. Accordingly, the hand actuated cover leads to labor inefficiency during cart use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,628 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,925 disclose devices similar to the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,748. These devices attempt to correct the problem of the hand-actuated cover by providing for a hinged, foot activated cover. The user is able to depress a pedal located at the base of the device. The pedal activates the hinged cover thereby allowing the user to place the waste in the trash bag conveniently. Unfortunately, this mechanism adds to the complexity of the device. This increases the production cost of the device. This also generates more parts to wear out or break.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,393 teaches a trolley for carrying bags having a rotatable base and flexible support legs at the top. The user places the closed end of a trash bag on the rotatable base. The open end of a trash bag is then mounted to an adjustable heavy wire rack. The rack is then manipulated to provide support and to hold the trash bag in an open position. When the trash bag has been filled the user would then twist the trash bag by rotating the base. The user would then seal the trash bag with a wire, plastic tie, or the like. One problem with a device of this type is that in order to utilize the rotatable base the trash bag can only be filled to approximately half it's available volume. This leads to waste of materials and to increase the time required to complete a job due to changing and moving the increased number of trash bag. Another problem is that the device requires a large number of parts thereby increasing the cost of the device. Additionally, the user must adjust several complicated systems on the trolley for effective operation of the device. This complex operation results in inefficient use of the operator's time and effort in completing the job.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,431 discloses a mobile support for a trash bag with a base support for the closed end of the trash bag. The trash bag is secured at its open end by an adjustable clamp surrounding a mounting loop. The edge adjacent the open end of the trash bag is folded over the mounting loop. The adjustable clamp is then tightened to secure the trash bag to the mounting loop. The closed end of the trash bag rests upon a base plate mounted above a tripod arrangement of casters or rollers. The trash bag is then moved about as the need arises during filing. One problem associated with devices of this type is that no mechanism to easily close the trash bag when the trash bag is stored while partially filled is provided. Additional the arrangement of the wheels while quite effective in movement over the smooth surface of a parking lot, side walk, driveway, or the like, the apparatus as disclosed is not suited for movement over irregular terrain such as the yard area of a home. The folding and adjusting mechanisms requires the cooperation of a complex and intricate set of parts. This complexity increases the cost of production and inefficiency of the device.